Pen & Inks

I am newly obsessed with a ...

I mean hopelessly obsessed.

I’ll let the pen and inks do the talking.

The pen is so pretty!

I know that eventually I will figure out a way to break my beautiful pen so I better get a backup soon.  I think glass dip pens are going to be my new thing to collect.

The pen and some inks are a Christmas gift.  I don’t know how or why they thought of it as a gift for me, but I’m over the moon with it all.

I can’t seem to think of enough things to write or people to write to.  Life has become so electronic.  So, thinking about writing (I always have lists going) but I leave them behind....a lot!  I also don’t carry a big purse anymore.  A small snap wallet tucked into my pocket is perfect.

I see that could use a good washing!

Sometimes I just think of one thing that I hope when I’m in a store that I remember I want it.  Yeah, doesn’t happen.  So I cut 2 pieces of mixed media paper and a piece of scrapbook paper to make a tiny book to write those “one things” in.  

Then when I’m at the store I can pull it out.  See what it is that I think I want to remember to get.

It fits right into my little snap wallet.  Perfect!

I wonder what took me so long to think of that!

Here is my December calendar journal.

Just above December I tested to see how the pen inks would write on my journal pages.  I’m happy they take beautifully.  January is already started but I’m figuring how to use the dip pen and inks for February.

Write to someone.

Everybody loves personal snail mail.

It’s Christmas Time!

At the end of last year I found a facebook group challenge to work on and post a Christmas gift every week.  And magically by December you would be well on your way to be ready for Christmas.

So I challenged myself to work on “something” for Christmas each week of the year.  It could be cards, gift tags, gifts, decorations.  I couldn’t be limited to just a gift as I certainly don’t need that many gifts.

I made a few Christmas cards.

Paper cards and fabric postcards.  I saw the washi tape tree idea on Pinterest.  What a fun card that was to make.

I wondered how the lettering would come out by cutting it with die cutting letters.  Worked great.  They are pretty narrow.

Also a die cut “jingle all the way”.  Embossed stamping for the paper cards.

I managed to create a few gift tags.

If my local kids don’t take them for keepsakes, I take them back and use them again the next year(s).  After all the tedious work, it’s great to see them again and tie them to a gift the next year.  

I also made four very cute money gift envelopes.  But they were sealed in their shipping boxes before I remembered to take a photo of them.

I turned the challenge to a personal challenge as I can’t post stuff on facebook that I don’t want people to see ahead of time.  I managed to make something for Christmas during 26 weeks out of the 52 week year.

Here’s how November went for my friends who enjoy seeing my journaling calendars.

I wish all my friends and followers a very Merry Christmas

and a best ever New Year!

Aqua/Silver Christmas Tree Skirt

The color request for this Christmas Tree Skirt was Teal and Silver.  I could not find Teal Charm Packs and I did not want to cut them myself from yardage.  So Aqua and Silver were approved.

All the silvers on whites were glittery but that doesn’t show in the photos and does not show well in the tree skirt either.

So I added rows of couched decorative silver thread.

Still difficult to see the glitz in the photos.

I think I forgot that this pattern should not be used with one-way prints.  All those one-way prints were a struggle.  I tried to plan all the upside down ones to be close to the inside center where they will be hidden by the tree.

I am always amazed how this mathematically incorrect pattern design works out perfectly every time.

For my October calendar journal I tried out a change of layout.  Or maybe it would be called a lack of layout.

I do not write that straight.  I drew lines and erased them after writing and stamping.  I wasn’t very good at doing this daily.  I found it easier to keep daily notes then fill in a few days at a time with the stamping.

While the page looks fun and it was nice to make a change, I was glad to be finished with the month.  I might do this again sometime in the future, but for now I’m returning to the traditional daily blocks style. 

Halloween Greetings

Fabric postcard Halloween greetings.

After the quilt show, I have several new patterns to shrink down for postcard making.  What a fun time I’ve had!

The correspondence side...

We’ve already had our Trick or Treating afternoon.  I got a big kick out of this couple.  I’m surprised that so many grown-ups were dressed up.  Maybe many of them were going to a party afterwards.  I think these two were already partying with their to-go cups in hand. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

A Second Tote

I’ve made a second tote bag using a Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric print.  It is like impossible for me to resist this line of fabrics.  They say “come on, come on, let’s go home together”.  

I also love this grungy lining print I used.  The two prints have nothing to do with each other except that I love them both.

With this second tote I fused a medium to heavy weight interfacing to the fabrics and I like the sturdier body I get with it.


Here next I had gone to what was called and Junk & Art Market.  It is a junk and antiques store mixed with some crafty art items.  On this day they added some outdoor craft vendors.  

But this vintage sewing machine find obviously sits outside all year round.

Wouldn’t that be a great outdoor decoration at a quilt shop or even if you have a separate studio she-shed in your backyard.  I did not ask the price and it also was weathered...faded away from sunshine.

This rusting process would have to already be started for me.  I could NEVER set out in the yard a rather decent condition machine to become weather worn over time.  Many would say what an awful thing to do, but since it’s done and there’s no changing it, I think it has it’s coolness as an outdoor decoration.

A Bit of Mail Art

I’ve had a swell time making a bit of mail art.

I immediately fell in love with this set of grunge style sewing themed stamps.   This is a #10 business envelope.  The scissors stamp is quite large.  (The stitches under the scissors are from a different set of stamps).

These carrier pigeon stamps are a hoot.  I gave them a line to stand on.  Unfortunately with modern transportation and email, it is the unemployment line.

I’m quite and sufficiently mad at myself with this envelope.  I was working on a couple of envelopes at the same time and I addressed this one incorrectly.  I found a way to correct it, but I did not mail it.  It seemed waaaayyy too tacky to actually mail it.  There’s no hiding the mistake.  Held up to the light reveals the error of my ways.  

I’m sending this postcard to my bicycle riding partner who put up with all my riding plans all spring and summer long.  

I am very lucky that this woman has a great sense of adventure.  All of our rides inadvertently turned into an adventure of some sort.  Loads of fun was had!

And this is how September was for me.

Happy Fall.  It’s the spooktacular month of October.  Creepy good decorations inside and outside are so fun to see.

Numbers Strip

I’ve sewn another thing...this one really is a thing.

I mentioned while sewing my tote straps that I was inspired by them.  I loved looking at them hanging around waiting to be sewn to the tote.

So I cut and sewed a strip of the numbers to have hanging around for my viewing enjoyment.

Different set of numbers on the back...

No rhyme or reason here.  Just something I like looking at.  It can move around and hang out anywhere.  I love it.  As my cousin-in-law said, “it’s danged cool!”  She likes words and numbers too.

Most days it doesn’t take much to amuse me.

Numbers Tote

I’ve sewn a thing!  

My thing is a tote bag.  Man-O-Man has it been a long time since I’ve sewn a tote!  Back then they were all very simple.  This one also was (should have been) simple, but it seems I wanted to sew everything from finish to start rather than from start to finish!  I also tried new things.

Slowest thing about it coming together is that I made it up as I went along.  Which means it is riddled with mess-ups and made-up fixes.  That works for me!

I went to a quilt show last weekend and caught a huge sewing bug!  I bought all kinds of new fabrics and patterns and went home and decided to sew with a fabric I already had.  I can’t explain how that happened.

I couldn’t resist buying this Tim Holtz numbers fabric.  I love numbers.  Of course it had to be a one-way print.  Why ever would I choose something that could go either way for a tote.  Because I am my own worse enemy, that’s why.

I hardly ever buy fabric for a purpose.  99% of my fabric purchases are because I love the print.  Then I buy yardage according to how much I think I love the print.  I do not usually buy more than a yard.  But the number fabric I REALLY LOVED and bought 1 and a half yards.

That lining was an ancient purchase of a half yard.  There isn’t much left.  That means there is an open spot for a new piece of fabric to lie in wait.

Rather than batting and for durability, I stitched a strip of ultra suede inside the shoulder straps.

Sewing the straps gave me a new inspiration that I’ll be stitching up soon.

Inside the tote.

I have a Dymo label maker and wanted to try some iron-on tape.  It ironed on but I don’t trust it so I added stitching.

I also thought I’d like to corral my water bottle.  However, I don’t think that was  the best plan.  I have my doubts that I will like it.  Not a problem, easy to chop out if I decide to.

It’s pretty roomy inside.  When it goes to the next quilt show, I’m fairly certain I will run out of money before I run out of room to add purchases to it.

There are extra wide selvedges on this fabric.  I decided to add some wordy interest to the numbers print by stitching the selvedges along the side seams.

I also seemed to have had a need to add my love of cycling for a bit of added interest.  No other rhyme or reason.

Another selvedge section from a bicycle theme print.

I found these leather Hand Made labels so added that also for a bit of interest.  From a distance you might think this is a designer bag with a big name on it.  NOT.

That’s the “thing” I’ve sewn.

Sadly, I have nothing coming up to use it!  Sad face.

Fabric Postcard Mail Art

I’ve been in the mood to make fabric postcards lately.

An idea or two for designs presented themselves and I didn’t resist.  

T

This snail simply had to be turned into a snail mail postcard.

The image of the girl has been in my stash of printed fabrics for quite a long time.  The sentiment that it sometimes takes all day to get nothing done spoke to me.  It seems like that is a rather common occurrence for me.  LOL. The other pieces on the postcard are all washi tapes.  I’d already started sewing them down on the edges before I thought to glue them down for extra security.  My hope was that they wouldn’t get caught in transit and tear.  I know the postcard arrived but I haven’t heard yet how the tapes survived.

And here’s my life in August.

While I wait for some new fabric postcard inspiration to pass by, I’ll just keep myself busy working on finishing up other “started” projects.

Happy September...already!